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List of Action Force character birthplaces
When G.I. Joe toys were released in Europe under the Action Force name, many characters had their birth place altered to make them seem more international. However some retained their American roots. Some characters were also given differing birthplaces on the file cards of later versions. In addition, the first GI Joe figures released in the UK, on the Pallitoy packaging and featured in Battle Action Force, were given new birthplaces in that comic's datafiles and on the packaging. :Note: for the original birthplaces in the U.S. ''G.I. Joe toyline, see List of G.I. Joe character birthplaces.'' Australia * Blast-Off's birthplace is listed as Sydney, the capitol on the south east coast. * While a later version of his file card switched back to his Las Vegas birthplace, Dusty's original AF birthplace was listed as Alice Springs - 335 km (208 mi) north east of Uluru (Ayers Rock). * In his Battle Action Force datafile, [[Recondo|'Recondo']] is given the birthplace of Melbourne on the southern coast near Tasmania. But the more detailed text states he was raised on the banks of the Snowy River, most likely in Orbost, 375 km (233 mi) to the east. ** Digger, a character based on Recondo's character model and who only appeared in Australian comics, is never given an official birthplace. * Like his U.S. release, Skymate's birthplace is listed as Queenstown, which could either be in South Australia or on Tasmania. However in Belgium his name was changed (based on the language) to either Planeur (French for "glider") or the literal translation Luchtmakker (Dutch). Austria * [[Blizzard|'Blizzard']]'s birthplace is listed as Leipzig, Austria. This is either a fictional place, a village so small it isn't on Google Maps, or an error. The German city of Leipzig is about 400 km north of Austria. In Spain, Blizzard was renamed Ventisca (literally, blizzard) and his birthplace was changed to Juneau, Alaska, but the rest matches the information of his U.S. release. His UK file card had given him a new file name, etc. to go along with his Austrian (or possibly German) roots. Belgium * According to her BAF datafile, [[Scarlett|'Scarlett]] was born in the coastal city of Bruges. * An original AF character, code-named Sparrow Hawk, was born in the capitol, Brussels. Canada * In Canada, Airborne was given the birthplace of Caughnawaga, Quebec - presumably the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory first nations reserve. * Like his U.S. release, Back Stop retained his birthplace in Montreal. * In the AF continuity, [[Ace|'Ace']] was born in Montreal as well.Intelligence Profile in ''Action Force'' 29. It was later changed to the United States. * An original AF character, unfortunately code-named Beaver, was born in the Province of Ontario. No specific city is listed. * [[Wet-Suit (RAH)|'Wet Suit']]'s first file card says he was born in Toronto. It was later changed to match his U.S. file card. It was also later changed to Torquay, England. China * [[Quick Kick (RAH)|'Quick Kick']] was born in Canton, which could be either anywhere in Guangdong, a province on the South China Sea, or the provincial capitol, Guangzhou, between Hong Kong and Macau.Intelligence Profile in ''Action Force'' 14. In Belgium, his code name was changed (depending on the language) to either Pied Blinde (French for "Armored Foot") or Flits (Dutch for "Flash"). France * [[Alpine|'Alpine']] was born in Grenoble, near the Italian border, to Algerian immigrants. * An original AF character, code named Barracuda, was born in the Mediterranean port of Marseilles. * There were two AF characters named Stalker. An original character using Snake Eyes' character model and one using the U.S. Stalker's character model and information. The second AF [[Stalker|'Stalker']]'s datafile gives his birthplace as Marseilles as well, but was later changed to match his U.S. release. * [[Blowtorch|'Blowtorch']] is from Toulouse, in the Pyrenees. * Shark, an original AF character, was also from Toulouse. * [[Crazylegs (RAH)|'Crazylegs']] was born in Rouen near the English Channel. * [[Sci-Fi|'Sci-Fi']]'s file card gives his birthplace as Strasbourg on the border with Germany. It was later changed to match his U.S. release French Congo * Roadblock's birthplace is listed as somewhere in the former French colony on file cards released in the UK. At the time, French Congo would have been a state in the French Equatorial Africa federation. This means he was born before August 15, 1960, as that is when the colony gained independence and became known as the Republic of the Congo. His birthplace was later switched to match his U.S. release. Germany West Germany * [[Airtight (RAH)|'Airtight ']]was born in Munich in Bavaria.Intelligence Profile in ''Action Force'' 32. In Belgium, his code name was changed (depending on the language) to Oxygene (French) or Gasmasker (Dutch). But all his other information stayed the same. * There were two AF characters named Breaker. The one based on the ARAH character was born in Munich as well. * As was Quickfire, an original AF character. * [[Leatherneck (RAH)|'Leatherneck']] was born in Berchesgarten. The actual name of the town on the Austrian border is Berchtesgaden. East Germany * Scout, an original AF character, was born in Leipzig. Technically, this would make him part of the Oktober Guard. * It is possible Blizzard was supposed to be born in East Germany instead of Austria. Greece * Steeler is listed as being born in Salonika, a variant name of Thessaloniki. Iceland * An original AF character using Snake Eyes' character model, but named Stalker, is listed as being born in the capitol, Reykjavík. India * Funskool gave Torpedo the birthplace of Goa on the western coast. Ireland * [[Deep Six|'Deep Six]]s BAF profile lists his birthplace as Cork, Eire, which could be either the southern-most county in Ireland, or it's county seat. It was later changed to match his U.S. information. * [[Lady Jaye_(RAH)|'Lady Jaye']] was also born in Cork.''Intelligence Profile in Action Force 30. * An original AF character, Phones, was born in the country's capitol, Dublin. * Scoop was also born in Dublin. Italy * [[Airborne|'Airborne']]'s BAF datafile lists his birthplace as Naples. It was later changed to be Wisconsin - the same as his U.S. release. * [[Barbecue|'Barbecue']] was also born in Naples. * There were two AF characters named Breaker. One of them was based on the ARAH character and the other was completely original. The original radio operator was born in Milan. * [[Dial-Tone|'Dialtone']]'s file card lists his birthplace as the Swiss-Italian border. However in Belgium, his file card gets more specific, listing his birthplace as Milan - about 50 km south of Switzerland. Also his code name was changed in Belgium to (depending on the language) either Transistor (French) or the literal translation '''''Kiestoon (Dutch). Jamaica * There were two AF characters codenamed Doc. The [[Doc|'Doc']] based on the ARAH character is given Kingston, Jamica as his birthplace in his BAF datafile. Japan * Budo's birthplace is listed as Osaka in southern Japan. One of his U.S. file cards also hints at his Japanese nationality. * Storm Shadow's Ninja Force file card also lists his birthplace as Osaka. Kuwait * The datafile of one original AF character, Moondancer, had originally only said he was born in the Middle East. It wasn't until later it was revealed to be somewhere in Kuwait. Mexico * Gaucho, an original AF character, was born in the Distrito Federal. * Another original character, Hunter, was also born in the capitol. The Netherlands * [[Torpedo|'Torpedo']]'s BAF datafile lists his birthplace as Rotterdam, a large port town in the south of the country. * An original AF character, codenamed Wheels, is given the birthplace of Eindhoven, Holland. The name Holland is also frequently used to informally refer to the whole of the country of the Netherlands. This usage is common outside of the Netherlands, but is incorrect. Eindhoven is actually in the province of North Brabant, near the French border. Netherlands Antilles * In Belgium, Roadblock's name was changed (only in French, not in Dutch) to Barricade 'and his birthplace was listed as Curaçao, an island off the coast of Venezuela. Which means he would have to have been born sometime after 1948, as before that the area was not called "Antilles" in official records. His birthplace was later switched to match his U.S. release. New Zealand * [[Beach Head (RAH)|'Beachhead]]'s BAF profile lists his birthplace as the large northern city of Auckland.Intelligence Profile in ''Action Force Monthly'' 10. * [[Cutter|'Cutter']]'s datafile for his 1985 release also gave him a birthplace of Auckland. It was later changed to match his U.S. information. In Spain, his code name was Cuchilla: "Knife." * Kiwi, an original AF character with an unoriginal codename, was born in Christchurch, the largest city on the southern island. Norway * There were two AF characters codenamed Doc. The original character was given Tronsk, Norway as his birthplace. No such place is known to exist. It could be a reference to Troms county in the far north of the country. This character was paid homage (in uniform) with a Lifeline figure at the 2010 G.I. Joe convention. * According to his Indian filecard, Snow Job (aka Redbeard) is from a small village north of the Arctic Circle in Norway.https://www.yojoe.com/filecard/international/india/snowjob.shtml Russian SSR * Hot Jets, an original AF character, was given the birthplace of Stalingrad. That would mean he was born before 1961, when the city's name was changed to Volgograd. Like the characters from East Germany, this should make him part of the Oktober Guard. Spain * [[Mutt|'Mutt']]'s BAF datafile gives his birthplace as Madrid. Later it was changed to Scotland and then the U.S. In Spain, his dog's name was Fiero. And in Italy, his own name was Lupus. * Tracker also comes from Madrid in the AF continuity. Sweden * Hawkwind, an original AF character, comes from the capitol, Stockholm. * Another original character, Ton Up, was born in Malmö, across the sound from Denmark. Switzerland * Quarrel, an original AF character, was born in Interlaken as the daughter to a diplomat. So it's possible that she isn't actually Swiss and that she was just born there. Turkey * Like his U.S. release, the circus strongman and INTERPOL agent [[Taurus|'Taurus']]' '''was born in Istanbul(not Constantinople). Ukranian SSR * Again like his U.S. release, the naval commando 'Red Star was born in Odessa, the most important trade port for the Soviet Union. He was officially in the Oktober Guard. United Kingdom * Some characters, like [[Super Trooper|'''Super Trooper]]Intelligence Profile in Blast-OffAction Force Monthly 12. , Action Man, or the comic-only character Trent, are assumed to be British, but no details on their exact place of birth are given. England Avon * [[Hot Seat|'Hot Seat']] was born in Bath after 1974.Intelligence Profile in the wikipedia:OrbostG.I. Joe Annual 1992. The county of Avon only existed as an administrative unit between 1974 & 1996 and was not popular as a geographic name. Bath is more commonly described as being in Somerset, and at the latest Hot Seat could have been born this would have been the only county. However "Avon" is what was used in print. See Counties of England for more information on the confusion. After than, the region was reorganized and Avon ceased to be a county. His file card was later changed to match his U.S. release. Bedfordshire * Downtown 'came from Luton, in the south of the county. Berkshire * [[Fast Draw|'Fast Draw]] was born in Bracknell, near London. Buckinghamshire * [[Sneak Peek|'Sneak Peek']] was from High Wycombe in the south of the county. Cambridgeshire * Buzzer, like his ARAH counterpart, is from Cambridge. And in French Canada, he was called Matamore: "Bully." Cornwall * [[Rock 'n_Roll_(RAH)|'Rock 'n Roll']] was born in Truro in the southwest.Intelligence Profile in the wikipedia:Alice_SpringsG.I. Joe Annual 1992. It was later changed to match his U.S. birthplace. Cumberland * [[Repeater|'Repeater']] is from Penrith in what is now Cumbria. If he was born in Cumberland, he must have been born before 1974, when the counties changed. Derbyshire * [[Recoil|'Recoil']]'s file card states he was born in Clifton, Derby. It's assumed they were abbreviating Derbyshire. Dorset * [[Lift-Ticket (RAH)|'Lift Ticket']] was born in Wimborne, on the eastern side of the county. East Riding of Yorkshire * [[Wild Bill_(RAH)|'Wild Bill']]' '''was born in Hull, by which they probably meant Kingston upon Hull.Intelligence Profile in 'Action Force 12'. Essex * [[Hit &_Run|'Hit & Run']] was born in Basildon near the mouth of the Thames.'Intelligence Profile''' in wikipedia:Alice_SpringsAction Force Monthly 15. Greater London * Law's birthplace is given as Streatham, south of the center of the city. It was later changed to match his U.S. release. * MI6 agent Natalie Poole's file card lists her birthplace as London, UK, which might be the City of London, but also might also be anywhere else in the county. * Roadblock's Battle Corps figure gives his birthplace as Brixton, London. Greater Manchester * [[Ripcord|'Ripcord']]' '''was born in Manchester, one of England's largest cities. * SWAT specialist and choirboy [[Shockwave|'Shockwave']]' was also from Manchester. Lincolnshire * [[Flint (RAH)|'''Flint]]' '''was born in Lincoln, the county town.Intelligence Profile in [[Action Force (weekly) 1|''Action Force 1]]. It (and his file name) was later changed to match his U.S. release. Merseyside * [[Heavy Metal|'Heavy Metal']] was born in Liverpool. Combined with his name, it could possibly be a reference to Merseyside's thriving music scene. * AF's original seaborne assault man, Stake-Out, was also from the port town Liverpool. Middlesex * Eagle, an original AF character, was born somewhere in the defunct county of Middlesex sometime before 1965. Somerset * Falcon 'was born in Glastonbury, near the center of the county.''Intelligence Profile in the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_SpringsAction Force Annual 1990. West Midlands * [[Flash|'''Flash]]' '''was born in Birmingham, one of the largest cities in the UK. * One of 'Psych-Out's file cards state he was also born in Birmingham. Later file cards match his U.S. information. Wiltshire * According to his first file card, [[Hawk|'''Hawk]] was born in Warminster. It (and his file name) was later changed to match his U.S. release. Scotland * [[Footloose (RAH)|'Footloose']]'s file card says he was born in Dundee, the city's name in Gaelic.Intelligence Profile in ''Action Force'' 48. In English it is called Bantorville, or (officially) the City of Bantor. * An original AF character, Leviathan, was born in Glasgow. * [[Mutt|'Mutt']]'s second release gave his birth-place as Glasgow, being changed from Spain. * [[Outback|'Outback']]' '''was born in Stirling.Intelligence Profile in the ''G.I. Joe the Action Force Annual 1991. It was later changed to match his U.S. release. * Another original AF character, Skip, was born in the capitol, Edinburgh. * [[Snow Job|'Snow Job']] was born in Perth. Wales * Dolphin, an original AF character, was born in the capitol, Cardiff. * Jinx was also born in Cardiff. * [[Tripwire|'Tripwire']] was born in Swansea in the south. It was later changed to match his U.S. release. At one point his code name (but not his file name) was changed; it was temporarily Cable. United States As one might expect, many of the U.S. soldiers released as part of the Action Force line retained their ARAH information. Characters like Major Altitude, Airwave, Armadillo, Avalanche, Bazooka, Blaster, Blocker, Bullhorn, Cold Front, Countdown, Crankcase, Cross Country, Deejay, Dodger, Dojo, Drop Zone, Free Fall, Frostbite, Ghostrider, Captain Gridiron, Hardball, Iceberg, Knockdown, Lightfoot, Long Arm, Low Light, Mace, Mainframe, Maverick, Muskrat, Nunchuck, Ozone, Pathfinder, Rampart, Robo-Joe, Salvo, Shipwreck, Short Fuse, Sky Dive, Slipstream, Spearhead, Steamroller, Major Storm, Stretcher, Sub-Zero, Tjabang, Topside, Wildcard, and Windchill had identical file cards on both sides of the Atlantic. For the birthplaces in the U.S. G.I. Joe toy line, see List of G.I. Joe character birthplaces. Additionally, [[Snake-Eyes (RAH)|'Snake Eyes']]' '''was born in the United States but his exact birthplace remains classified.Intelligence Profile in 'Action Force 40'. 'Spirit's birthplace is listed as somewhere in the Grand Canyon, Arizona. This is consistent with some of his U.S. file cards. '''Mercer '''also had variants in his U.S. releases, but in Europe only one birthplace was given - Spencer, West Virginia. Ambush's, Armadillo and Back Blast's code names (in French Canada) were translated nearly literally to '''Embuscade, Tatou and Pétarade (respectively), Barricade was changed to Barrage in Europe, Charbroil was renamed Brasas '''("Embers") in Spain, Heavy Duty to '''Arsenal, Lifeline to Doc, Skidmark to Treadmark, Sgt. Slaughter to Sgt. Slammer, Storm Shadow's Cobra code name was just Sombra ("Shadow") in Spain, Tunnel Rat was renamed Topo ("Mole") in Spain, in Italy Static Line was renamed Para Demolitor '''(his file name changed too, for some reason, to Skymate's), but all of their other information (including birthplaces) remained the same. But not all characters were that easy. Airborne, Cutter, Deep Six, Dusty, Flint, Hawk (whose name was changed in Belgium, depending on the language, to either '''Vaillant in French or the literal Dutch translation Havik), Hot Seat, Law, Mutt, Outback, Psych-Out, Roadblock, Rock 'n' Roll, Sci-Fi, Stalker, Tripwire, Wet Suit and Wild Bill all had one file card listing a North American birthplace (consistent with their North American releases) and another file card listing it elsewhere. See above for more details. Ace's birthplace, after being listed in Canada, was changed to Chicago, Illinois, far from where his U.S. releases list it - New Jersey. Except one European file card gives his birthplace as Seattle, Washington, consistent with the variant in his American release. Blizzard, after being born in either Austria or Germany (see above), was listed as being born in Juneau, Alaska. Some characters were always American, but their birthplaces were changed: * One of Duke's file cards lists his birthplace as somewhere in Massachusetts. * Much of Gung-Ho's information stayed the same, but early variants gave him a different file name and the birth place of somewhere in Florida. And his Indian filecard, while not mentioning his birthplace, says he grew up on a rubber plantation in Malaysia. And there were other characters who were original to the Action Force line. * Blades was born in Riverside, Iowa - the same as Captain James T. Kirk. * Chopper was born somewhere in Oklahoma. * Jammer was born in New York, New York. * Sand Storm's birthplace isn't classified, but it isn't listed on his file card either. However the RAM Cycle he was packaged with clearly has the Z Force logo and "U.S.A." decals, from which one could assume he is a new American Action Force character. * Sky Raider was born in Cincinatti, Ohio. * Surfer was born on one of the Hawaiian islands. References Category:Lists Category:Towns and cities Category:Action Force